Hundreds of Android Apps Did Not Disclose 3rd Party Tracking

Hundreds of Android Apps Did Not Disclose 3rd Party Tracking

According to a Thursday report courtesy of the CBC, literally hundreds of Android Apps available in Google’s Play Store failed to disclose 3rd party analytics/advertising services. In layman’s terms, this means third party tracking systems hidden within them,, used for collecting personal user data.

“An analysis by University of Toronto researchers found hundreds of Android apps that disclosed the collection of personal information for the app developer’s own purposes — but, at the same time, didn’t disclose the presence of third-party advertising or analytics services that were collecting the personal information, too. If you give a weather app access to your location for a more accurate forecast, for example, a third-party advertising service embedded in the app could access it, too.”

App developers have the obligation (under the law) to disclose these things to their users, yet many of them failed to do so. According to Professor Lisa Austin, the study results were eye-opening with regard to big-tech “modus operandi”:

“This is one of the ways in which you’re getting tracked through your use of apps. You can’t have informed consent if you don’t know that your information is being collected by these third parties”

Back in August, it was revealed that Google can track a user’s location by using its home-made apps (even if you’re on iOS and use Google Maps for example), even if the device’s location-feature was turned off. Another study found that Android smartphones collect 10x more data compared to other operating systems. Because that’s Google’s business model: their products are free to use. Their users are the merchandise.

Read their new Code of Conduct. It’s coldblooded corporate legalese. The humanity and the passion of the old ethic is gone. It’s like Skynet took over.

Seriously, Google has the word “ogle” in their name:

to look at especially with greedy or interested attention example: we ogled the chocolate confections.

Now, seriously speaking, is it really necessary for the entire galactic quadrant knowing that I am in the crapper? Every app you try to use has to have rights to your gallery, location, contacts and pretty much everything on your phone. And if you don’t give it to them, well, tough luck: you can’t use anything. Where’s “the choice” ?